Mid-Autumn Festival in Saigon: Lanterns of Cho Lon
Every autumn, Vietnam lights up for Tet Trung Thu – the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a celebration of the harvest, of children, and of the moon at its roundest and brightest. Nowhere in Ho Chi Minh City is the atmosphere richer than in Cho Lon, the city’s historic Chinatown, where whole streets glow with lanterns and the air smells of freshly baked mooncakes.
A Festival for Children and Families
Tet Trung Thu is often described as a children’s festival. Kids carry colourful lanterns shaped like stars, fish, and rabbits, while families gather to share mooncakes and tell the legend of Cuoi, the man who flew to the moon. Underneath the fun is a gentler message: gratitude for the harvest and time spent together.
When and Where to Go
The festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in September or early October. The heart of the celebration is Luong Nhu Hoc Street and the surrounding lanes of District 5 (Cho Lon). In the days leading up to the full moon, this short street becomes a dazzling corridor of lantern shops, toys, and mooncake stalls. The Nguyen Trai area, Binh Tay Market, and several Chinese temples nearby are also worth exploring.
What to See and Do
- Wander the lantern street – Luong Nhu Hoc is at its most magical after dark, when the lanterns are switched on.
- Buy a traditional lantern – from cheap paper stars to elaborate handmade pieces, it is a wonderful souvenir.
- Taste mooncakes – try a baked mooncake with lotus seed and salted egg yolk, and a snowskin version for a lighter bite.
- Watch a lion dance – troupes perform through the streets, collecting lucky red envelopes.
- Join a lantern parade – on the main night, children march with their lanterns; visitors are warmly welcomed to watch.
Cho Lon feels completely different from District 1. Take your time, go on foot, and let yourself get a little lost in the side alleys – that is where the real character of the neighbourhood lives.
Local Tips for Foreign Travelers
- Go on a weeknight if you can; the lantern street gets extremely crowded on the weekend before the festival.
- Bring small notes for street food and lanterns, and keep an eye on your belongings in the crowds.
- Mooncakes are rich – they make a lovely gift, and many shops offer beautiful boxes.
- Combine your visit with a stop at Binh Tay Market and a bowl of noodles in a local eatery.
- Learn a few words: “Tet Trung Thu vui ve” means “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”
If you are travelling with children – or simply young at heart – the Mid-Autumn Festival in Cho Lon is one of the most colourful and heartfelt evenings you can spend in Saigon.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons – “Lanterns in Hoi An, Vietnam” (CC BY 2.0) and “Hoi An Lantern Shop” (CC BY 2.5). Vietnamese lanterns shown for illustration.